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TAMPA - Sheriff’s deputies say a mother who was arrested Tuesday knew her son was growing marijuana in her back yard.
Esther Victoria Soto, 49, told deputies that she had no problem with her son, a minor, growing the plant and said “it was a nice-looking plant,” according to an arrest affidavit.
Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies said they confiscated nearly 73 grams of marijuana from Soto’s house at 2707 E. 98th Ave.
Soto was arrested Tuesday and her son was arrested Aug. 20, the night deputies found the plant. Deputies said they waited to arrest Soto until they had confirmation from the state attorney’s office that her son would be charged.
Soto is charged with felony possession of marijuana over 20 grams and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She was released Tuesday from Orient Road Jail after posting $2,500 bail.
A staff report
If anyone really has a problem with people getting arrested for weed, write your Congress Representative. It would help a lot more that griping on some webpage or to your friends. If everyone would just come together a speak out maybe something would get done about this. If not make it legal at least lessen the penialties lesser, maybe instead of it being criminal offensive make it just a fine.
Way to go Police Force, way to go you have wasted more of our taxpayers money busting stupid crimes. You should go spend another $10,000 of the taxpayers money in the strip club. Leave people alone for pot, no one gets robbed by a pothead, go after some real criminals. Last time I checked we have an epidemic with meth and crack. I would like to see how many squad cars showed up on the scene to bust a mother and her son. Way to GO!
Is it silly to post a comment just to agree with other comments? Well, call me silly! Victimless crime, legalize, horticulture… I agree with it all. What a waste of money & resources. P.S. Lap dance reference… hahaha, riiiight!
I get so tired of these bleeding hearts always blaming the officers. Let something happen to them or their families and they will be the first to call the officers.
Some example the Mother is setting for her son. Wonder why there is so much crime, it’s when parents condone things like this.
Let these that always blame officers for everything spend one day in their shoes and see how it feels.
Pot is a PLANT! Leave people who grow it alone! Trying to force people not to drink didn’t work in the 30’s, and all this crap with pot isn’t working now. I see no problem putting crack, cocaine, heroine, and meth users in jail because the drugs they use are manufactured! The only thing you have to do to a pot plant to smoke it is DRY IT OUT!! Why, if we don’t care who has sex with whom in their own home, do we give a crap what they smoke? If privacy is what we want, let’s allow legal adults to choose, and arrest REAL criminals. Now, as for a MOTHER allowing a MINOR child to break a standing law, in my opinion , she was wrong!
We have nothing better to do than to mess with this!!! We have REAL criminals out their people!!!! Let’s get our priorities straight!!! They need to legalize this stuff and move on to bigger problems…like child molesters, rapist, and murders. 
When are we going to learn in this country that some people just want to smoke weed. What a waste of time and money for a case that will only bring probation.
Let the cops deal with real junkie drugs like Meth and Crack, free up jail space buy making a stupid plant legal.
another person harassed over a victimless crime. police are afraid of real criminals, crack and meth dealers on every corner, but you went after a single pot plant. tough guys is what you are. wont arrest the nine year olds parents for selling synthetic drugs, your excuse… well they have been arrested so many times before that it doesnt help. cowards.
Poor Mrs. Soto. She found a unique way to raise her income and offset the higher taxes we’ve all heard about. You have to admit, the boy was probably generating more traffic than he would have with a lemonade stand. At the same time, she was keeping her son off the streets while teaching him about horticulture, cultivation, and business. Now those mean ‘ol cops are picking on her.
One would think that law enforcement could find meaningful work, like frisking lap dancers.
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Posted by toni scallara, florida on 09/27 at 10:15 AM
Leave the pot smokers alone,go after the violent street crime.